Sanjay Roy, who was convicted of raping and murdering an on-duty trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has been given life till death by a Sealdah court on Monday, January 20.
Judge Anirban Das of the additional district and sessions court, Sealdah, has asked the state to pay ₹17 lakh to the family of the RG Kar doctor in the rape and murder case.
Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, was brought to the court in Kolkata today.
Judge Anirban Das heard Sanjay Roy’s arguments around 12:30pm today.
During the sentencing, Sanjay Roy’s lawyer said, "Even if it is a rarest of rare case, there should be scope for reformation. The court has to show why the convict is not worth reformation or rehabilitation... The public prosecutor has to present evidence and give reasons why the person is not worth reformation and should be completely eliminated from society."
The victim’s family lawyer said, “I want death sentence as maximum punishment.”
Convicted of sexually assaulting the 31-year-old trainee doctor and throttling her to death, Sanjay Roy was found guilty under Sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Section 64 (rape) of the BNS carries a minimum punishment of 10 years and maximum life term.
Section 66 (punishment for causing death or resulting in a persistent vegetative state of the victim) carries a minimum punishment of 20 years which may extend to imprisonment for life, which means imprisonment for the rest of that person’s natural life or death.
Section 103(1) (murder) of BNS carries death penalty or life imprisonment.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, before leaving for north Bengal, had said she would not comment till the court delivers the verdict.
“I had earlier demanded the death penalty, but it depends on the judge and how the case has been framed,” the CM said.
The parents of the deceased doctor, who were on their way to the court, said they will trust the judiciary.
“We have faith in the judge,” said the victim’s father.
The deceased doctor’s mother was however unhappy with the CBI investigation saying “other perpetrators involved in the crime had not been brought to justice.”
“Only one person is not involved in the crime, yet the CBI has failed to apprehend the others. Such criminals have no right to live if we are to prevent future crimes in society,” the bereaved mother said.
The body of the trainee doctor was found on August 9 in the hospital’s seminar room, which sparked nationwide protests. Roy was arrested a day after the incident and the case was later handed over to CBI.
